Opposition leader in National Assembly says judges of anti-terrorism courts must take a firm stance
ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-Feb 17th, 2025) Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Umar Ayub on Monday called on the judiciary to assert its authority, saying that it must take a stand and declare that enough is enough.
Umar Ayub emphasized that the judges of anti-terrorism courts must also take a firm stance.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar, Opposition Leader Umar Ayub Khan, Senator Shibli Faraz, and Salman Akram Raja held a press conference at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House, Islamabad.
Speaking on the occasion, Barrister Gohar said that they wanted to address the public on three key issues. He highlighted that nearly a year had passed since the general elections, where PTI was given a clear mandate, securing 180 seats in the National Assembly and a majority in Punjab.
He asserted that anyone could see that the 2024 elections were rigged. PTI had demanded the formation of a commission, but neither was a commission established, nor did the judiciary take notice. He lamented that out of 74 petitions filed by PTI, not a single one had progressed.
Barrister Gohar reiterated PTI’s demand to reclaim its constitutional right, emphasizing that the constitutional amendments passed by the government formed on a fake mandate should be reviewed. He insisted that the decision on the 26th Amendment should be made by judges who were appointed before the amendment. He also mentioned that PTI had earlier proposed negotiations.
He further stated that Imran Khan had even formed a committee for talks, but the negotiations could not move forward as the government avoided dialogue, wasting the opportunity. He declared that PTI remains the number one political party in Pakistan. Imran Khan had also written letters to influential figures, emphasizing that there should be no divide between the military and the people.
Opposition Leader Umar Ayub, addressing the press conference, stated that access to PTI founder and Bushra Bibi had been restricted. He criticized the postponement of the Toshakhana II case in an unusual manner. He reiterated that the judiciary must take a stand and that judges of anti-terrorism courts must uphold justice.
He also demanded the release of all political prisoners, including former Prime Minister Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Yasmin Rashid, Hassan Niazi, and Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed. He claimed that Pakistan lacks rule of law, which has deterred investment in the country.
Challenging government ministers, Umar Ayub invited them to a debate on inflation, stating that electricity, flour, gas, and sugar prices had skyrocketed while people’s purchasing power had diminished. He accused the government of being the most dishonest in the world.
He asserted that PTI’s founder, a former prime minister, would return to power and that his experience and vision should be utilized to unite the nation.
Discussing the deteriorating security situation in Balochistan, he claimed that the national flag could not be hoisted in eight districts. He warned that lawmakers in Balochistan were fearful, comparing the situation to 1971 when General Yahya declared that all was well, leading to the fall of Dhaka.
He urged military leadership to investigate the high number of martyrdoms among soldiers and demanded answers from the authorities, stating that the state belongs to the people and is represented by the National Assembly, Senate, and provincial governments.
Umar Ayub also pointed out that for the first time, an IMF delegation of this nature had visited Pakistan, stressing that without rule of law, no investor would be willing to invest. He reiterated that PTI’s founder had made the same point. He confirmed PTI's participation in the Judicial Reforms Meeting on the invitation of the Chief Justice of Pakistan.
Election rigging and legal challenges
Salman Akram Raja criticized the February 8 elections, calling them an act of brutality. He cited a shocking report by Pattan and praised Soch TV’s documentary on the 2024 elections.
He detailed electoral irregularities, stating that while polling day was relatively smooth, massive rigging occurred afterward. He alleged that ballot boxes were tampered with at polling stations, Form 45 results were altered, and votes were manipulated at returning officers' offices.
He emphasized that vote counting should be conducted in the presence of both candidates but claimed that PTI representatives were forcibly removed from returning officers' offices under the pretext of security concerns. He questioned who had fired gunshots at the scene, emphasizing that no investigation had been conducted.
He also highlighted discrepancies in Forms 45 and 46, pointing out that data on the Election Commission of Pakistan’s website showed mismatched figures between total votes cast and the final results.
He insisted that the election records alone could expose the rigging, urging the Supreme Court to take notice of what he termed a “blatant robbery of the people's mandate”. He pointed out the impossibility of an 80% voter turnout for a National Assembly seat while only 40% for the corresponding Provincial Assembly seat in the same constituency.
He declared the current National Assembly as lacking legitimacy, accusing the Election Commission of mocking PTI’s concerns and dismissing their petitions. He revealed that when PTI submitted its evidence, the Election Commission dismissed it and alleged that the PTI had fabricated 400 fake Forms overnight.
He further criticized the election tribunals, saying that in a province like Punjab with a population of 120 million, only two judges were appointed to election tribunals. He said the PTI demanded additional judges but when Names were proposed, the government challenged the selection in the Supreme Court. He added that Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa ultimately ruled against PTI’s position.
